


Fourteen Days

by WrittenLetters



Series: Descension [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 3: Change, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2185128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrittenLetters/pseuds/WrittenLetters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s only been two weeks – you need time to heal.”</p><p>Small glimpses into what may have happened during the two week time jump at the end of Book 3: Change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fourteen Days

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd and not canon at all (though possibly canon compliant until Book 4 begins to air). I had many "feels" after the finale and they became a fic. This is written with of dose of sad too.

**Catalyst**

 

 _“Dad. You’re alive.”_  

Korra doesn’t hear the wind of the world’s airbenders, the breath of Suyin or her father, and as Tonraq’s mouth moves no sounds emerge, a void in its place. Whoever arms envelops hers (“ _Dad?”_ ) the sensation melts into fire ant bites, buzzard wasp stings, and shirshu tongues.

Everything is muted.

 _I failed._  

 

* * *

 

Tonraq does not wait for Oogie to touch down onto the cliff side; he jumps down with his daughter tight in his arms and together they meet the water he beckoned. Regardless of his lack of healing talents there’s a chance Korra might heal herself or go into the Avatar State.

Yet as Korra floats in the element she was first born to wield there is no ethereal glow and humming of life.

Her eyes are wide, glassed over, and staring off into the sky.

Tonraq shifts his posture so that Korra has a familiar face to keep her tethered to this world.

He does not notice Kya’s hands twisting above his daughter’s core or how Tenzin and Bumi are holding up their only sister. 

They are all fragmented – even more so as water flashes blue.

 

 

 

**Day 1**

 

Twenty-four hours later Suyin is down one more airship (they ran the engine ragged), but it’s replaceable.

Korra is not. 

While Guo and his medical team work on her – always awake, never asleep, and cannot respond… what did Zaheer do? – Suyin retreats into her office.

Minutes later a picture frame is broken and balls of mercury and zinc are shifting between her palms.

_Mom always had tricks up her sleeve, good thing she passed them down through the family._

 

* * *

 

It is during another heeling session that when Kya lifts more impure water out of Korra that something else happens.

The Avatar’s skin begins to peel off in ribbons.

Between Kya and Zaofu’s medical team it’s decided that all they can do is continue on with noninvasive treatments and hope their chain of radioed messages has reached the South Pole already.

At least her internal organs and blood are no longer heavy with the metallic poison.

 

 

 

**Day 2**

 

When Zaheer wakes Guru Laghima sits before him.

Lin and Suyin are informed of his status by the guards and most importantly how he hasn’t detected the swapped material in the chains, manacles, and the mask that binds him to this earth.

It is mutually agreed that no one else is to be informed of the changes.

There’s been enough of that for this season.

 

 

 

**Day 3**

 

Korra wakes as the sun sets.

Her arms thrashes about and she screams incomprehensible babble, eyes darting around, yet her legs do not move. It takes Asami and Mako’s combined strength to hold her down as Bolin rushes out to find the on duty nurse. In the end, Kya is woken so she can send a sleeping draught down the young woman’s throat.

With a pass of healing water, Kya hesitates – Korra’s legs are limp and her flow of chi is stalled. 

Tenzin orders Zaofu’s communications division to send out a distress call in White Lotus code.

Three recon groups on their way to Ba Sing Se answer the message hours later.

 

 

 

**Day 4**

 

Jinora meditates _again_.

Traveling around the world is impossible, or near enough. Master Airbender she may be, but a master of the spirit realm? Not now.

She _must_ try though.

Instead she finds herself in old library before a Knowledge Seeker with a tome in its mouth.

Ever so quietly Jinora takes the book and opens it, her eyes scan the index, eyebrows rising.

 _Poisons of the Earth: Metal – Mercury_  

With knowledge gained, pages memorized, she yanks herself back into the physical world before the echoing flaps of Wan Shi Tong’s wings can reach her ears.

 

 

 

**Day 5**

 

There are only three waterbenders among the White Lotus members that reach Zaofu and none of them are familiar with this type of poisoning. Yet with their help, they and Kya are able to do a more thorough check of Korra’s vitals (based off Jinora’s information).

A family meeting is called.

Korra will live, but her nerve endings and chi flow are broken more so than when Amon touched her with bloodbending.

Tonraq finds Bolin, Asami, and Mako asleep with his daughter in her sick bed and Naga with Pabu nestled up to the side.

 

 

 

**Day 6**

 

“Wheares Zaiiiheree?”

All members of the Korra Krew find themselves a hugging and crying mess with a highly confused Korra caught in the center.

 

* * *

 

“Daahhd. I thaught…” Korra loses her place. 

Tonraq doesn’t say anything, there’s no need. Just holding his “little girl’s” hand is enough, currently.

“I sownd saah oddeh Daahhd. Yoeu chaught me, buht I coodn’t seh yoeu. I’m sorwy.”

“Korra, don’t.” Now in a hug, Tonraq holds onto his daughter even tighter. “There’s no need to apologize. I love you and I am so proud of you. _I love you._ ”

Her words may be slurred, but her sobs are _not_.

 

 

 

**Day 7**

 

A new airship arrives, carrying Master Katara and the White Lotus who will take Zaheer to his prison among the clouds.

The single vial of spirit water from the North is able to restore Korra’s speech, sight, and other cognitive functions.

Now it’s the memories of her breath being ripped from her that plague her being and sleep is such a foreign concept now.

 

 

 

**Day 8**

 

“Mom, did you –“ Kya sucked her breath in. Her hip just had to have a nasty break due to that fall that P’Li crafted. 

“Go on when you’re ready Kya.” Katara still kept her concentration, continuing her scan.

Once the pain ebbed she continued, “Was this what it was like when Dad was hit by lightning before Sozin’s Comet?”

Katara does not drop her water, but the corners of her lips fall.

“I do not know why the world has to see the Avatar suffer over and over again... I am sorry that I was unable to do what I did last time.”

“Oh Mom, damn it, I didn’t –“

“Shh Kya. Korra is strong, but strength alone cannot guide her to a full recovery. Your father had to overcome many obstacles, including his self-doubt. Korra will have her own, but like everything in our world, she’ll need time and time waits for none of us.”

Kya finds that her heart aches more than her hip does by the time the moon rises.

 

 

 

**Day 9**

 

It is decided that Korra needs to be moved back to Republic City.

She is to be rendered unconscious during the journey, for the wind is a trigger for her (Tenzin bended her door shut and she screamed), and air ship travel would ignite it at full force.

Mako, Bolin, and Asami argue a different solution – to travel by boat. Varrick must have something.

They concede once it is announced that the chaos in Ba Sing Se is spreading throughout the land and into the water.

Fire and air are still safe for now.

 

 

 

**Day 10**

 

Mako takes the morning shift, followed by Bolin in the afternoon, and Asami is afterwards and is up until the sun’s rays fill Korra’s room.

No matter what someone is holding her hand or massaging her legs or tucking a rouge hair behind her ear – and it puts a smile on Korra’s sleeping face.

 

 

 

**Day 11**

 

Zaheer is securely locked away once more.

The only difference this time is that it is for good.

 

 

 

**Day 12**

 

They land early and quietly onto Air Temple Island.

Korra can now be awake, but her slumber did not rid the bags underneath her eyes.

In fact she looks worse.

Asami sends a messenger for a packed trunk of her things. Korra needs a friend first and foremost.

She offers that Korra can tell her anything at any time.

Korra nods and stares off into the distance as if she is seeing through the walls.

Taking charge, Asami brings her back into the realm of the present by telling Korra stories from her childhood, starting with how she snuck behind closed doors of Republic City’s National Museum during some gala.

While she does not laugh, the start of a smile flashes on her face for a brief moment.

 

 

 

**Day 13**

 

Her hand moves to reach behind her ear, but she pauses.

Jinora stares back at _someone else_ in the mirror and wonders if she’ll see herself when the last arrow, on her head, is completed.

She ties the band that held her hair onto her wrist, the red-orange near complimenting her new sky blue arrow.

There is no going back now.

 

 

 

**Day 14**

 

Korra lies in bed and does not want to face the day. Or tomorrow. Or the day after that.

She feels broken and worthless and _not_ the Avatar. She’s not herself at all – half asleep and never awake.

_I’m all alone._

Her thoughts are proven wrong by a knock on her door.

Asami’s head peaks in. “Hey Korra, are you up for Jinora’s ceremony today?”

Maybe she can do it. The airbending will be minimal, right? Not aimed at her, not down her throat and out and swirling around everything is going to end right here and now and I’ve failed why did I fai- 

“Korra,” Asami lies down next to her, hand to hand contact interrupting the train of thoughts. “If you don’t it’s fine. We can stay here.”

“I can… I can maybe try, for Jinora.”

“That’s a good place to start. Here, let’s get you dressed.”

 

 


End file.
